Saturday, May 20, 2000
Schools look for new chief
By Andrea Tortora
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — The crisis of losing a superintendent in the midst of state audits leaves Covington Schools with a wealth of opportunity, parents, teachers and board members said Friday.
The district now gets the chance to reshape nearly every aspect of the education it provides — from top leadership to classroom instruction to teacher training.
A day after Superintendent James Kemp announced he will leave his job June 30, school officials touted the situation as a chance to tackle tough issues and make bold improvements.
Marianne Chevalier, director of community services, said staff members have been worrying where the next crisis would erupt ever since the March release of a state report that faulted the district for the way it educates.
“Frankly, I just want to get back to work,” Ms. Chevalier said. “I'm tired of people leaving because they just can't take it anymore.”
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SELECTING A SUPERINTENDENT
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Kentucky law regulates how school boards pick a new superintendent. Brad Hughes, spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association, outlined the process:
Screening committee
• The school board must establish a screening committee within 30 days of a vacancy, although there are exceptions.
• The committee must include two teachers, a board member, a principal, a parent and a classified employee.
• Districts with a minority population above 8 percent must have at least one screening committee member who is a minority. Covington's minority student population is 21 percent.
• The screening committee reviews applications and makes nonbinding recommendations to the full board.
Scope of search
• The school board can conduct a national or state search for candidates.
Restrictions
• A school board cannot hire a new superintendent between a Nov. 2 election and Jan. 1, when newly elected board members would take office.
• Interim or acting superintendents appointed by the school board can serve a maximum of nine months. That includes a six-month appointment and a three-month extension.
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Clear communication among school personnel and with the public will be crucial, said school board member Mike Fitzgerald.
“I want people to start being held accountable for their jobs and duties, from the school board all the way down,” he said. “Teachers and the public should hold the board accountable, just as they hold teachers accountable.”
Steve Winkler, parent of a Sixth District Elementary student, said keeping parents informed is vital. That's why he helped the school board and superintendent create parent-teacher conference days.
“There are no phones in the classrooms and teachers can't make calls out,” Mr. Winkler said. “Having these days may be the only chance parents get to talk to their child's teacher.”
Fixing the school system's other problems won't be easy.
Covington Schools ranked at the bottom on state tests of academics. The 4,800-student district also faces barriers that come with being in an urban setting — such as a student body that is largely mobile and from low-income families.
And like many urban school systems, the district has switched superintendents often — three times in the past 10 years. Mr. Kemp will be the fourth departure.
Mr. Kemp's nearly four-year tenure is actually longer than average. Urban school superintendents average 28 months at a school.
June is one of the worst times to seek a new superintendent, said Brad Hughes, spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association.
“The market will be slim,” he said. “... most candidates have already decided to stay on where they are or have new jobs.”
In the meantime, the board must pick an interim superintendent, who must be more than a caretaker, said board member Joseph Meyer. That person could end up running the district through most of the next school year. He or she also would need to implement the recommendations from the state audits, due at the end of the school year.
“We need a strong person, who has the strength to implement what's in the audits from the first day on the job,” said Mr. Meyer, “so that many of the tougher issues can be taken care of and addressed before the new superintendent comes in.”
The next superintendent is likely to already be in Kentucky, because board members said they want a candidate who knows how the state's education reform system works.
The best candidate will also be a team builder who can inspire and unify school employees, and a strong leader who can communicate clearly with all school staff and the public, board members said.
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